Poor William Shatner, aka Capt. James Tiberius Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. Nothing would have made him happier, the actor notes in the epilogue of "Star Trek Memories," than to be able to end his reminiscences about the beloved TV series "with the simple phrase 'And the cast, crew and creatives of "Star Trek" lived happily ever after.' "But as Mr. Shatner discovered in catching up with his old colleagues, not only had some of them not lived happily ever after, but they also hadn't been terribly joyful while they were doing the show -- thanks in good measure to him.Nichelle Nichols, who played crew mate Uhura, complained about Mr. Shatner's self-involvement and his dismaying tendency to deem her character's lines of dialogue unnecessary.

After working all day in their jobs with the federal government, Ann and John White don't like to come home and watch reality TV. They prefer to get immersed in something they consider more thought-provoking: science fiction. Over the weekend, the Laurel couple went to Timonium to meet with others who feel the same way at Farpoint 2011, a "fan-based" sci-fi convention at the Crowne Plaza Baltimore North hotel. "Fifty years from now, they probably aren't going to have a 'Survivor' convention or a 'Jersey Shore' convention," said Ann White.

By David Zurawik and David Zurawik,Sun Television Critic | November 30, 1994

'Star Trek' . . . is an astonishing tale unsurpassed in the history of entertainment," William Shatner says tonight at the end of "Star Trek: A Captain's Log."If you accept the statement without question, then this is definitely the retrospective for you.If, however, you're the kind of person who says, "Hmmm, what about, say, Shakespeare?" you are probably going to have lots of trouble with the overstatement and some of the claims of cultural significance made during the hour."Star Trek: A Captain's Log," which airs at 9 tonight on WBAL (Channel 11)

By Lisa Alcalay Klug and Lisa Alcalay Klug,SPECIAL TO THE SUN | March 22, 1998

After years spent dreaming about the Starship Enterprise, Trekkies can finally live out their fantasies -- at least for a brief interlude from an Earthly existence.Besides New York City and Luxor, Egypt, the 24 century can also be visited by Las Vegas tourists. In January, the Las Vegas Hilton debuted "Star Trek: The Experience," a $70 million high-performance, hi-tech, motion-simulation ride.Once we reached a model of the Enterprise hanging overhead and passed the ticket takers, we entered the History of the Future museum, an attraction within the attraction.

Any moment now, they should be popping intergalactic champagne corks on the deck of the new Starship Enterprise.It's time to celebrate, time to walk like a Romulan.After all, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" long ago won over skeptical Trekkies. And now, closing out its fourth season in first-run syndication with a cosmic Klingon cliff-hanger, this glossy, high-quality successor to the original "Star Trek" space odyssey has become a major TV success story.Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and the other new kids on the trans-warp block have already boldly gone where Capt.

By Lisa Alcalay Klug and Lisa Alcalay Klug,SPECIAL TO THE SUN | March 22, 1998

After years spent dreaming about the Starship Enterprise, Trekkies can finally live out their fantasies -- at least for a brief interlude from an Earthly existence.Besides New York City and Luxor, Egypt, the 24 century can also be visited by Las Vegas tourists. In January, the Las Vegas Hilton debuted "Star Trek: The Experience," a $70 million high-performance, hi-tech, motion-simulation ride.Once we reached a model of the Enterprise hanging overhead and passed the ticket takers, we entered the History of the Future museum, an attraction within the attraction.

After working all day in their jobs with the federal government, Ann and John White don't like to come home and watch reality TV. They prefer to get immersed in something they consider more thought-provoking: science fiction. Over the weekend, the Laurel couple went to Timonium to meet with others who feel the same way at Farpoint 2011, a "fan-based" sci-fi convention at the Crowne Plaza Baltimore North hotel. "Fifty years from now, they probably aren't going to have a 'Survivor' convention or a 'Jersey Shore' convention," said Ann White.

By Christine Evans and Christine Evans,Knight-Ridder News Service | December 12, 1991

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Officially, the William Kennedy Smith trial ended at 5:14 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 11, 1991, with a dramatic declaration -- not guilty.Unofficially, it was all over Tuesday, when Mr. Smith took the witness stand and made mincemeat of the prosecutor.Assistant State Attorney Moira Lasch, a 1977 University of Marylland law school graduate widely known for her methodical, dispassionate jury presentations, delivered a classic example to the Smith jury -- and it backfired.

With millions of new computers being unwrapped as the holiday season draws to a close, millions of new computer owners will be asking themselves the same question: Now that I've spent a couple of grand on a hunk of high-tech hardware that can recalculate the national budget in seven milliseconds, how can I have some fun with it?Indeed, for all our talk about using PCs to manage information, increase productivity and make our children technologically literate, the average guy buys a computer with a CD-ROM drive, high-resolution color video, sound board and blast-'em-out-of-the-chair speaker system complete with below-desk subwoofer because it's the greatest toy since the Slinky.

Springfield, Mass.The longest-running card game in sports begins one hour befor the Harlem Globetrotters hit the court.Tex Harrison deals. No one keeps score. It's just a way to kill time between the hotel and the show. The locker rooms are the same in every town. A couple of benches. Some rolls of tape. A bucket filled with soda cans. A nervous kid wandering around in search of autographs and a harried arena manager reminding the players when to go on.Harrison, the team's coach and vice president of operations, has been part of the Globetrotters since 1954, serving previously as a player, public relations director and talent scout.

With millions of new computers being unwrapped as the holiday season draws to a close, millions of new computer owners will be asking themselves the same question: Now that I've spent a couple of grand on a hunk of high-tech hardware that can recalculate the national budget in seven milliseconds, how can I have some fun with it?Indeed, for all our talk about using PCs to manage information, increase productivity and make our children technologically literate, the average guy buys a computer with a CD-ROM drive, high-resolution color video, sound board and blast-'em-out-of-the-chair speaker system complete with below-desk subwoofer because it's the greatest toy since the Slinky.

By David Zurawik and David Zurawik,Sun Television Critic | November 30, 1994

'Star Trek' . . . is an astonishing tale unsurpassed in the history of entertainment," William Shatner says tonight at the end of "Star Trek: A Captain's Log."If you accept the statement without question, then this is definitely the retrospective for you.If, however, you're the kind of person who says, "Hmmm, what about, say, Shakespeare?" you are probably going to have lots of trouble with the overstatement and some of the claims of cultural significance made during the hour."Star Trek: A Captain's Log," which airs at 9 tonight on WBAL (Channel 11)

Poor William Shatner, aka Capt. James Tiberius Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. Nothing would have made him happier, the actor notes in the epilogue of "Star Trek Memories," than to be able to end his reminiscences about the beloved TV series "with the simple phrase 'And the cast, crew and creatives of "Star Trek" lived happily ever after.' "But as Mr. Shatner discovered in catching up with his old colleagues, not only had some of them not lived happily ever after, but they also hadn't been terribly joyful while they were doing the show -- thanks in good measure to him.Nichelle Nichols, who played crew mate Uhura, complained about Mr. Shatner's self-involvement and his dismaying tendency to deem her character's lines of dialogue unnecessary.

By Christine Evans and Christine Evans,Knight-Ridder News Service | December 12, 1991

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Officially, the William Kennedy Smith trial ended at 5:14 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 11, 1991, with a dramatic declaration -- not guilty.Unofficially, it was all over Tuesday, when Mr. Smith took the witness stand and made mincemeat of the prosecutor.Assistant State Attorney Moira Lasch, a 1977 University of Marylland law school graduate widely known for her methodical, dispassionate jury presentations, delivered a classic example to the Smith jury -- and it backfired.

Any moment now, they should be popping intergalactic champagne corks on the deck of the new Starship Enterprise.It's time to celebrate, time to walk like a Romulan.After all, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" long ago won over skeptical Trekkies. And now, closing out its fourth season in first-run syndication with a cosmic Klingon cliff-hanger, this glossy, high-quality successor to the original "Star Trek" space odyssey has become a major TV success story.Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and the other new kids on the trans-warp block have already boldly gone where Capt.

Springfield, Mass.The longest-running card game in sports begins one hour befor the Harlem Globetrotters hit the court.Tex Harrison deals. No one keeps score. It's just a way to kill time between the hotel and the show. The locker rooms are the same in every town. A couple of benches. Some rolls of tape. A bucket filled with soda cans. A nervous kid wandering around in search of autographs and a harried arena manager reminding the players when to go on.Harrison, the team's coach and vice president of operations, has been part of the Globetrotters since 1954, serving previously as a player, public relations director and talent scout.

NEW YORK -- Two hundred people a day are calling the consumer affairs office of Hallmark Cards Inc. in Kansas City screaming for a $20 replica of the Starship Enterprise from "Star Trek" with blinking red and green lights. It is Hallmark's most successful Christmas ornament since it launched the Hallmark Keepsake Magic Christmas Ornaments line in 1973.At a time when it seems like nothing is selling, there doesn't seem to be a store anywhere where the Starship hasn't sold out."This is the most demand we have ever had for a single ornament," said Betsy Helgager, spokeswoman for Hallmark cards.

Star Trek. *** ( 3 STARS) Before the rest of the summer-franchise blockbusters crowd it out of theaters, see this one on the big screen - not because the filmmaker, J.J. Abrams, is a great visual artist (far from it), but because, as a storyteller, he gives all the characters on the Starship Enterprise room to interact and breathe. This movie has team spirit - though, for my money, Simon Pegg's Scotty steals the show. Opening next Friday Easy Virtue: (Sony Pictures Classics) A stuffy English family is perturbed when the favorite son brings home his enlightened American bride.